Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Malone Encourages Everyone To Vote November 5

From Percy Malone>}

State Representative

Americans on the First Tuesday in November will enjoy an opportunity unavailable to millions of people around the world, the opportunity to vote in free elections.

Voting is not required of American citizens, but is a right guarenteed to them by the U.S. Constitution and by the laws of the nation and of the state. Voting is the action that sustains our democracy and ensures that our governments remain of, by and for the people.

"The people, are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty," wrote Thomas Jefferson in a 1787 letter to James Madison.

Those qualifying to vote in an Arkansas election must be citizens of the United States and of the state, must turn 18 before the next election, must be mentally competent, must not have been convicted of a felony offense without the sentence being discharged or pardoned, and must not claim the right to vote in another county or state. and they must be registered.

Arkansas voters on November 5 will decide a wide range of issues and cast ballots for a broad array of candidates running for offices at the local, state and national levels.

Among the issues to be decided are three proposed constitutional amendments and one proposed law being referred to the voters by the General Assembly. In addition, at least five other proposed amendments were to appear on the ballot along with another proposed law, all placed before the voters through petition drives initiated by Arkansas citizens.

All voters are encouraged to become familiar with these ballot issues and cast informed votes on them on election day.

Voting is a right and a responsibility for all eligible adult citizens of the United States. It is amazing, then, that almost a third of Arkansas's adult population of 1.8 million is not registered to vote, and even among those who are registered, a sizable number fail to cast ballots on election day.

Once a voter is registered, the most common method used to cast a ballot is to appear in person at a designated polling place on election day. Voters also have an option of voting by absentee ballot if they know ahead of time they cannot make it to their polling place on election day. The county clerk's office can provide details about securing an absenteee ballot.

Voters also have another option for casting their ballots. During the 15-day period leading up to the election, voters may appear in person during regular business hours at their county clerk's office and vote early. This option is available through the day preceding election day.

The right to vote is a privilege guaranteed American by the U.S. Constitution. But it is a responsibility each of us must choose to exercise. Voting is the primary tool available to the people to maintain our democracy, to ensure our freedom and to promote justice. In the words of Lincoln: "The ballot is stronger than the bullet."